Entries by Peter Minorsky

An Intrinsically Disordered Protein Interacts with the Plant Cytoskeleton

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Intrinsically disordered proteins lack a defined three-dimensional structure but often contain a simple amino acid composition with repeated  sequences that provide the basis for multivalent intermolecular interactions. Because of their unique structural flexibility, conformational adaptability, and ability to react quickly in response to changing environments, intrinsically disordered proteins often function as hubs of protein-protein interaction […]

A Peptide Hormone Receptor Controls Seed Size and Yield

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Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases (LRR-RLK) are one of the largest gene families in  plants. Research over the past decade has implicated LRR-RLKs and their selective interactions with secreted peptide hormones in a myriad of developmental processes. A conserved LRR-RLK with a burgeoning list of important roles is C-TERMINALLY  ENCODED PEPTIDE RECEPTOR 1 (CEPR1). In  Arabidopsis […]

Remorin and Plant Death

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Programmed cell death (PCD) in plants is closely associated with a wide variety of biological processes, including cell differentiation, aleurone layer formation, tapetum degradation, leaf and fruit resistance, pathogen invasion and abiotic stresses. Plant PCD is a complex genetically programmed mechanism, which is regulated by many factors. Reactive oxygen species  (ROS) play a vital role […]

Durotropic Growth of Pollen Tubes

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Upon germination, the vegetative pollen cell forms a long tubular protrusion, the pollen tube, which rapidly elongates through the pistil and transports the enclosed immobile sperm cells toward the egg and the central cell for double fertilization. To reach the female gametophyte, growing pollen tubes must penetrate different tissues within the pistil. Flowers of different […]

Chlamydomonas and Vitamin B12

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Nutrient amendment experiments suggest that B12 limits phytoplankton growth in many aquatic ecosystems.  Eukaryotic algae cannot synthesize B12 and must instead obtain it from certain B12-producing prokaryotes. In many algae, B12 is required as a cofactor for the B12-dependent Met synthase enzyme (METH), although some algae encode a B12-independent isoform of this enzyme (METE) and […]

Small Secreted Peptides of a Model Legume: a Database

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Plant small secreted peptides (SSPs) have emerged as an important class of regulatory molecules involved in plant growth, development, plant-microbe interactions, and stress tolerance. SSPs are typically encoded within preproteins of 100–250 amino acids, that are subsequently processed into shorter bioactive peptides of ~5 to 50 residues that act at very low, often nanomolar physiological […]

Cineole Synthesis in Kiwifruit

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Over 80 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been described in ripe kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.), with the most important odor-active compounds  typically being straight-chain esters and C6 aldehydes and alcohols. Another odorant proposed to be important in the flavor of ‘Hort16A’, one of three major cultivars of kiwifruit, is the terpene 1,8-cineole.  Terpene volatiles are found […]

New Insights into Tomato Ripening

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Fruit ripening results in changes in pigmentation, enhanced aromas and flavors, and flesh softening. The ripening process involves massive changes in gene expression patterns. RIPENING INHIBITOR (RIN) is a transcription factor that plays a major role in regulating fruit ripening in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The rin mutant has received substantial attention because it shows a […]